The cancellation of the popular Sunset Night Market was a disappointment to business owners and residents alike. But now a community group is organizing a new, smaller-scale version of the Irving Street event.

It's being dubbed Sunset After Dark, and as ABC 7 reports, it's scheduled for September 26.

"There's definitely gonna be food vendors," says organizer Rob Aiavao, speaking to ABC 7. "There's going to be vendors selling, you know, wares, trinkets, as well as activities for kids that are going to be put on by some of the local schools."

Aiavao, who grew up in SF's Chinatown, is a board member of Dear Community, a local group that came together during the pandemic to combat the rise in anti-Asian hate. The group has as part of its mission "healing our community by curating safe space events that foster discourse while generating income for merchants fighting to survive," and they thought that reviving the night market was a good cause.

Local business owner Daniel Ramirez, owner of Smokin D's on Irving Street, tells ABC 7 that he also saw an opportunity for "a community-driven event" to help bolster foot traffic for businesses like his this summer.

The original organizers of the Sunset Night Market, which happened in August and September of 2024 and stretched across seven blocks of Irving, from 19th Avenue to 26th Avenue, announced last month that the event was "on pause" for this year. This was due in part to delays in reimbursement payments from the city, which caused significant financial strain — but a number of people cited the unwieldy size of the event as well, which drew upwards of 20,000 people.

Still others who are gunning for the recall of Supervisor Joel Engardio framed the cancellation in more negative terms, given that Engardio was an early champion of the event when it launched in slightly smaller form in 2023.

Engardio tells ABC 7 that he's "really excited that people are coming together to create something a little smaller scale, but perhaps more sustainable and something that we can do more often."

The event is expected to occupy just three blocks of Irving Street.

The election to decide whether to recall Engardio, which will only involve District 4, will be happening 10 days before this night market, on September 16.

Vendor applications for both food and non-food vendors are currently open for Sunset After Dark. Email [email protected] for more information.

The Sunset Night Market Collaborative, meanwhile, expects to bring back its night market at a smaller scale in 2026.

Previously: Sunset Night Market on Pause, Possibly Falling Victim to Recall Fight Involving Supervisor Joel Engardio